


Today I Ask Of You

by mmercurious



Category: Original Work
Genre: (and was in the top 12), Gen, I don't want to ruin the surprise, I really don't know what else to say, shouldn't be triggering, so I'm just going to shut up, written for the tumblr short story writing competition 2013
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-24
Updated: 2014-02-24
Packaged: 2018-01-13 15:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1232173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmercurious/pseuds/mmercurious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>tumblr short story writing competition 2013 blog: http://sswc2013.tumblr.com/</p>
    </blockquote>





	Today I Ask Of You

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr short story writing competition 2013 blog: http://sswc2013.tumblr.com/

_I'm not saying I fell in love with you the moment we met. Love is a big word and I don't think it should be used so lightly._

I glance down at you. After all these years you're still so beautiful. I have to take a steadying breath before I can continue. 

_However I can say that from the first second I spent with you I knew I would always want to be near you. I knew –_

I feel my voice cracking. If I could just fight the tears off for a little while longer. I don't want to cry just yet.

_I knew I would miss you even if I had just seen you._

I can't even remember the last time I've seen you wearing white. It must be months. You always prefer bright colours. White is not even a colour you always remind me. 

_Everybody who's present here today has probably heard about where I had these thoughts. But I thought it wouldn't hurt to remind everybody about how you and I met._

I don't even need to see your face right now to know you're smiling. It is without a doubt the best part of you. How your eyes seem to reflect all the light of the universe. You rarely smile wide enough to show your teeth but it is still the warmest smile I've ever seen. Of all the faces and all the smiles this world holds in itself yours is the one I hope to see right before I die. Then I would know I've done something right in my life. 

_We met at a gas station. It was in the middle of the night, in the beginning of August. The air was so hot and humid I thought my skin might melt off._

I remember that day, well, night, so vividly. How the air felt against my skin. How it smelled of exhaust, and gas, and grease from the late night burger joint next to the station. One of the lights in the yard was blinking slowly. 

_You on the other hand looked so beautiful. You even had a long sleeved shirt on and I don't remember seeing a drop of sweat on you._

I laugh with the others. I bet they picture me there – sweating from every place possible, my hair glued to my face, and then there's you. I remember you even had your hair open and it wouldn't even stick to your neck. I've always wondered how you manage that. No matter how hot it is you never suffer from any side-effects. Maybe you should've been born somewhere much warmer, maybe it was just a cruel joke you were born here where it is properly warm for just a few months a year. Not that I would complain. Had you been born someplace else I would've never seen you turn every possible shade of pink in a matter of seconds. 

_I was still talking with the cashier, I'd just paid for my gas and a cup of coffee. I hadn't noticed you entering but I definitely noticed when you tripped over and soaked my back with a huge cup of coke. I tried to turn too quickly and you completely caused me to fell over and while you were trying to help me up you managed to knock over the coffee I'd just paid for and obviously it landed perfectly on the front of my shirt._

I have to stop for a while. I've told this story so many times and it really is one of my favourite things to tell. But somehow I know that very likely this'll be the last time I'll ever tell this story out loud. I try swallowing the lump forming in my throat down but I'm not really succeeding. Just a little while longer and I'll be done I try telling myself. 

_So there I was. Sprawled over a gas station floor in the middle of the night with my back moist with coke and my front wet with hot coffee. After I finally had gotten up you started apologizing. You were so embarrassed and I'm quite sure you were about to cry. With your face changing colour every few seconds I tried to say something._

Truth is, you still make me speechless. I hope I never forget how you looked that night. 

_At some point you probably noticed you had said you were sorry for about 50 times whereas I was just staring at you. Honestly, all I could think about was that I wanted to kiss you right there but that would've probably caused way too much confusion for you. So, I finally managed to open my mouth and somehow understandably explain that I was fine. I'm still surprised I made it all the way to your car before that kiss happened._

It was really the smallest of small kisses and right after I was on the verge of panic because I was certain I'd misjudged and you were going to turn and drive away from me as fast as humanely possible. 

_I was almost giving up when I saw something sparkle in your eyes and then you pulled me into another kiss. I don't even want to know what I looked like with that sweaty shirt dipped in coke and coffee but luckily for me you didn't mind about nonsense like that._

I shortly glance at the people sitting nearest to us. I can see many of them have tears in their eyes, your father is openly crying, my sister's make up is totally wrecked. I look at you again and I feel a tear rolling down my cheek. I try fighting the others but I'm afraid it's no good. 

_Now everybody here knows those two kisses in the parking lot have turned up into being so much more and I am eternally grateful for every kiss, breakfast, car ride, meaningless chat, fight, laugh I've shared with you so far. It is the corniest thing to say but you are the best thing ever to have happened to me. The love you've shown me still takes my breath away. It has been my guide in the dark and given me courage when I've felt like giving up. Today, with all my heart, I'm asking of you to show me a way and wait for me._

Finally my voice breaks but it doesn't matter anymore, I've made it through my speech. I hear someone blowing their nose farther back. The tears in my eyes make my world blurry but I still see you clearly. 

I gather up my notes and step down. On my way back to the bench I stop by you. I reach down and take your hand in mine. Your skin feels so alien, so cold. I don't need to tell you again I love you, you know that. But quietly I ask you to wait for me.

_You must._


End file.
